With the Retina display on the iPads, it would be reasonable to think that they would make for great monitors, or at least a secondary one, especially if you’re on the road and packing a monitor with you is pretty much out of the question. There are apps out there such as Duet Display that can turn your iPad into a second monitor, and the good news is that it’s finally on the PC.Prior to this, Duet Display was exclusive to Mac computers but just today, the app was updated with support for both Windows 7 and Windows 8. It has also been updated with better performance too. Now if there’s a reason to love Duet Display it is because it seems to be lag-free, thanks to the fact that it connects to your computer via your iPad’s charging cable.
Other options out there tend to be a bit laggy due to the fact that they pair with your computer wirelessly, so if a lag-free option sounds like the perfect setup, then perhaps Duet Display might be worth your consideration. According to the app’s creator, Rahul Dewan who also used to be a former engineer for Apple, “A second display can increase productivity up to 48%. If you have an iPad, you already have that second screen. With Duet, you can finally use it. Otherwise, your $700 device is just sitting there.”
The app itself does not come cheap and users will have to install it both their PC and their iPad which will cost them $9.99 (this price is reflective of a 40% launch discount). However it is significantly cheaper than buying another monitor, so like Dewan says, if you have an iPad lying around that doesn’t get much use, why not turn it into a secondary display?